1. Field of the Disclosure
The technology of the disclosure relates to fiber optic modules provided in fiber optic equipment to support fiber optic connections.
2. Technical Background
Benefits of optical fiber use include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. Because of these advantages, optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including but not limited to broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Fiber optic networks employing optical fiber are being developed and used to deliver voice, video, and data transmissions to subscribers over both private and public networks. These fiber optic networks often include separated connection points at which it is necessary to link optical fibers in order to provide “live fiber” from one connection point to another connection point. In this regard, fiber optic equipment is located in data distribution centers or central offices to support interconnections.
The fiber optic equipment is customized based on the application need. The fiber optic equipment is typically included in housings that are mounted in equipment racks to maximize space. One example of such fiber optic equipment is a fiber optic module. A fiber optic module is designed to provide cable-to-cable fiber optic connections and manage the polarity of fiber optic cable connections. The fiber optic module is typically mounted to a chassis which is then mounted inside an equipment rack or housing. The chassis may be provided in the form of a tray that is extendable from the equipment rack like a drawer. This allows a technician access to fiber optic adapters disposed in the fiber optic module and any fiber optic cables connected to the fiber optic adapters without removing the fiber optic module from the equipment rack.
Even with advancements in access to fiber optic modules, the labor associated with installing fiber optic modules and making optical connections is significant. For example, for a field technician to install a new fiber optic module, the field technician typically loads trunk cables in the rear section of a fiber optic equipment rack. The field technician then feeds the connectorized fanout legs from the trunk cable to the front of the equipment rack. The field technician then walks around to the front of the equipment rack to connect the fanout legs to a fiber optic module. Because data distribution centers are typically large facilities with significant numbers of equipment racks, walking back and forth from the rear section to the front section of the equipment rack during an installation can take significant time. Alternatively, a second technician may work in tandem with the first technician, where the first technician manages loading of fiber optic cables in the rear section of the equipment rack. The second technician remains in the front of the rack to install the fiber optic modules and establish optical connections between the fiber optic cables and the fiber optic modules. In either scenario, fiber optic cables are installed in the rear section of the equipment rack and the fiber optic modules and connections are installed from the front of the equipment rack thereby requiring extensive labor.